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Twins march against abortion in D.C.

Annual event becoming a tradition for local college students

BY BRIDGET FLYNN
bflynn@saukvalley.com
800-798-4085, ext. 521

Jan. 29, 2013

Photo submitted

Caption

Mary Bratt (left), Natalie Lucas, Sadie Bratt, Emi Funai, and Kathryn Anderson, all Christendom College seniors, marched in Washington, D.C. Friday in the annual protest of the 40-year-old Roe v. Wade decision upholding a woman's right to an abortion. The 21-year-old Bratt twins, 2009 Dixon High School grads, have marched before. This was Mary's fourth protest, and Sadie's third.

DIXON – In what’s become an annual tradition for them, Dixon twins marched with thousands of others in Washington, D.C. on Friday to show that they believe Roe v. Wade has got to go.

Sadie and Mary Bratt, 21, are seniors at Christendom College, a Catholic university in Front Royal, Va. It’s about an hour’s drive from D.C., where the annual March for Life was held to protest the Supreme Court decision that upholds a woman’s right to have an abortion.

This year’s event was a few days after the 40th anniversary of the Jan. 22, 1973, landmark decision. It was Mary’s fourth march, and Sadie’s third.

Their school buses in students.

“As a Catholic college, it’s important,” Sadie said. “One of the Commandments is ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ so we need to recognize that as well.”

This year, though, the twins drove with a friend from Alabama, arriving in time to catch the last hour of a rally before the march. Then they walked about 2 hours through Washington to the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court with thousands of other demonstrators.

They marched “to show that we’re not going to give up the fight until everyone realized that life is sacred and we have to fight for it in our country,” Sadie said.

The philosophy student enjoyed “seeing that there are people from every generation, young kids, old people, and they all stand for the same thing.”

The march was fun, Mary added. “It’s a little tough, cold. It’s a pretty long march, but it’s good to be there.

“You see people from everywhere, colleges, churches – knowing that there are a lot of people who are against abortion ... it’s good to see that you’re not alone.”

The 2009 Dixon High School graduates are the daughters of Grace and Tim Bratt.